Happy New Year! Welcome to 2023. How does it feel to have a brand new, fresh year ahead of you? We can make it anything we want it to be. There’s no better time than now to practice gratitude for all that you have and have been given in this life. Even if you don’t feel like everything is exactly how you’d like it to be, even if you have worries and fears, stress, or financial struggles, you can – and should – express gratitude for what you do have in life. Let’s look into how this simple daily practice can completely transform your life.
There are many reasons to practice gratitude daily but do you know how to get started? Unfortunately, complaining and talking about all the things you don’t have comes much more naturally than being thankful for the good things in your life. Your brain is just wired that way as part of its survival mode.
That’s why you must train yourself to be more positive. You must make a commitment to practice gratitude daily and really work at it until being thankful comes naturally. You must take that first step to get started and keep doing it even when you don’t feel like it.
To ensure you do stick with your goal of practicing gratitude daily, start out with something simple. Look for things that don’t take a lot of time and energy to do. This will make it easier for you to stay on track, especially when you’re not in the mood to be thankful.
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Here are eight simple ways to practice gratitude to help you get started
With these simple steps, you can practice gratitude every day. You don’t need to invest in any special equipment or tools. Everything that you need is right inside of you already. You have the power to make massive change within your life by recognizing what you have already. Embrace it, appreciate it, and make it grow.
1. Get in touch with yourself
It’s easier to be thankful for the good things in your life when you’re aware of your own thoughts and feelings. So, start living more in the moment. When you do, you’ll begin to see all the things you have to be thankful for that includes everything from good friends to good health. Practicing mindfulness is a great way to get more in touch with yourself. This exercise will help you reflect on your life and teach you to live in the moment.
2. Create a gratitude journal
Organizing your thoughts and experiences in a journal will help you sort through them so you can put everything in context. This helps you get a new perspective on things, which allows you to see all the good things you should be grateful for in your life. It will also bring to your attention the way your life is constantly changing for the better.
3. Share your gratitude with others
Tell friends, family, coworkers and even strangers (when appropriate) about the things you’re thankful for in your life. When you share your gratitude with others, you’re sending positive energy out into the Universe and encouraging others to see more of the good in their life.
4. Help others in need
Sometimes it takes helping others to realize how good you really have it. When you see the struggles and problems they deal with every day, it has a way of making you more appreciative of the things you have.
5. Thank someone for doing something for you
Make a point to thank someone each day for something they do to make your day a little brighter. It could be for anything from holding open a door for you to spreading a little joy through a smile and a kind word.
6. List a few things that you’re thankful for each day
When you write down two or three things that you’re thankful for each day, it makes them more memorable. It also gives you a chance to see what source is responsible for them, so you can clearly see the things that influence your life the most.
7. Thank someone for being there for you
Reach out to friends or family that helped you through a rough time just to say thank you, even if it’s been awhile since you saw them. You can also send a text or email to someone special simply to let them know that you appreciate them and that you’re thankful they’re in your life.
8. Take time to see the beauty in the world
There are so many beautiful and wondrous things in the world that get overlooked during all the rushing around. Make it a point to stop, take a deep breath and then spend a few moments looking around at all the natural beauty surrounding you. Then, take a moment to thank the Universe for all the wonderful things you no longer take for granted.
If your life is busy you may find it difficult to add anything new to your normal routine. For this reason, you must set aside time to write in your journal, practice mindfulness or simply have some quiet time to think about the good things in your life. Otherwise, you may not find the time.
It’s easy to get excited when you think of the benefits expressing feelings of gratitude has to offer. However, if you don’t set realistic goals you might find too many obstacles getting in the way. For example, if you try expressing your gratitude in several different ways each day, you might become overwhelmed and end up giving up the practice.
So, choose one or two of the ways above to help get you started and you can practice gratitude today and every day. Then, set aside some time for the sole purpose of expressing gratitude and it will help ensure you keep up the practice. Make it a daily habit – track it in a journal or planner if you’re having trouble remembering. Alternate between the different ways of practicing gratitude if you want to keep things interesting. Which of the eight ways above would you like to try first?
